Sister Patricia Macaulay

My ministry pattern has been to first work in a ministry, and then enrich that experience with further education.

Since 2007, I have been living and working in Fort St. James B.C. Father Frank Salmon OMI had been without Sisters for one year. The elders prayed for Sisters to come to help him — and they got three!

The people here, many of the Carrier Nation, live close to the earth. We share life in six different churches, in homes and in the smokehouses. Many are grieving and coping with addictions. They are faith-filled people who live in close-knit-family communities.

Call to be a Sister

In 1957, Sister Margaret Phelan prayed a novena to St. Joseph for a tangible outcome, an "unexpected" candidate. My entering from Vancouver that year was the answer to that prayer.

As I look back on 54 years as a Sister of St. Joseph, some significant events have changed who I am and how I look at life. The way I like to say it is this: I have thought about my vocation, but I have never doubted it. In order to be present to others with God's loving way, we spend time daily in prayer, praying the Liturgy of the Hours and participating in Eucharistic celebrations. Of course, this must be balanced with fun, exercise and relaxing with friends and family. All this has supported me and given meaning to my life.

Ministry over the Years

My ministry pattern has been to first work in a ministry, and then enrich that experience with further education. I worked in our infirmary as a nurses' aide before beginning R.N. studies. I worked in pastoral care for four years at St. Joseph's General Hospital in Comox, B.C. before studying for a degree in Pastoral Care at St. Paul University. It was in my 13 years at Comox that I had my most fruitful and satisfying ministry.

Today, I am grateful to be in Canada's beautiful north. Our Sisters have been in northern British Columbia for more than 50 years and we hope to continue this wonderful CSJ legacy.